Head-to-Head Comparison · Alternative to Brilliant · 🎓 education
Brilliant vs Lumi
A free desktop H5P editor for interactive lessons, simulations and quizzes; content quality remains your problem. Here is how Lumi ($0/mo free) stacks up against Brilliant ($30/mo) across cost, hosting, data privacy, and real-world trade-offs.
Brilliant vs Lumi Specification Matrix
facts verified 2026-08-11
| Dimension | Brilliant (Paid) | Lumi (Replacement) |
|---|---|---|
| Monthly Price | $30 / mo | $0 / mo |
| 1-Year Cost (1 seat) | $360 / yr | $0 / yr (Save $360) |
| 1-Year Cost (5 seats) | $1,800 / yr | $0 / yr (Save $1,800) |
| 1-Year Cost (10 seats) | $3,600 / yr | $0 / yr (Save $3,600) |
| Source & License | Proprietary SaaS | free AGPL-3.0 |
| Where It Runs | Vendor Cloud | Local (on your machine) |
| Platforms | Web / Cloud | desktopone-click install |
| GitHub Stars | — | ★ $0 forever |
Deep Dive: Switching from Brilliant to Lumi
Trade-offs, installation & data architecture
What you trade away
It edits standalone H5P activities but supplies no sequenced curriculum, adaptive guided path or ready-made STEM library.
How to deploy Lumi
Windows Store or EXE, macOS Intel or Apple-silicon DMG, or Linux Snap, AppImage, deb or pacman package
What it takes to run
Windows may show SmartScreen, and current macOS builds have had unsigned or damaged-app Gatekeeper reports
Where your data lives
Interactive content lives in local .h5p packages and can be exported as H5P, standalone HTML or SCORM
Why fork Lumi instead of vibe-coding a Brilliant clone?
A consolation build is possible, but the paid product's decisive value sits outside a solo rebuild. For Brilliant, build interactive practice around user-authored math and science lessons. The hard boundary is expert curriculum, interactive problem library, pedagogy, apps, and content rights, plus content, pedagogy, and network.
Brilliant vs Lumi FAQ
Is Lumi a good free alternative to Brilliant?+
Yes. Lumi is a verified free replacement for Brilliant. A free desktop H5P editor for interactive lessons, simulations and quizzes; content quality remains your problem.
What is the catch when switching from Brilliant to Lumi?+
It edits standalone H5P activities but supplies no sequenced curriculum, adaptive guided path or ready-made STEM library.
How much do you save switching from Brilliant to Lumi?+
Brilliant costs $30/mo ($360/yr) per seat, whereas Lumi is $0/mo. Switching saves $360/yr for a solo user, $1,800/yr for a 5-person team, and $3,600/yr for a 10-person team.
How do I install or self-host Lumi instead of Brilliant?+
Install: Windows Store or EXE, macOS Intel or Apple-silicon DMG, or Linux Snap, AppImage, deb or pacman package. Setup: Windows may show SmartScreen, and current macOS builds have had unsigned or damaged-app Gatekeeper reports
